BELLINGHAM

RED RAIDERS

Coach: Bill McClement

Last year: Finished third at the NWC Championships. Placed second at the 2A Northwest District meet. Placed fourth at the 2A State Championships.

Runners to watch: Leah Veldhuisen (so.), Bekah Jensen (sr.), Maya Norton (jr.), Nicole Burbank (jr.), Katie Walker (sr.), Abby Walker (so.), Crystal Cochrane (jr.), Clara Prentiss (jr.), Jaime Korner (sr.), Hayley Walker (sr.)

Outlook: Bellingham returns all but one runner from the team that placed fourth at state in 2011 and opens the season ranked No. 4 in the coaches' poll. Gone is top finisher Molly Leischner, but Jensen, Veldhuisen, Burbank, Norton, Abby Walker and Katie Walker all placed among the top 64. But the Red Raiders know that guarantees nothing. "Competitively, there could be four teams, including ourselves, that are legitimately state podium contenders in this district," McClement said in a phone interview. "Burlington, Cedarcrest, Bellingham and Sehome all could place high in the top 10, and chances are one of them is going to have to stay home."

Reach DAVID RASBACH at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2271.